


Gone

by Happenstance_and_Balderdash



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Angst, Gen, Missing Scene, Mourning, fire and water
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-26
Updated: 2018-02-26
Packaged: 2019-03-24 06:44:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13805661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Happenstance_and_Balderdash/pseuds/Happenstance_and_Balderdash
Summary: After the team returns without Daniel from an off-world mission, after holding a wake for him, Jack sits alone with his thoughts.





	Gone

Jack sat in silence on his couch, staring at nothing in particular.  Coffee table.  Floor. Fireplace.  Out the window when he could muster the energy to move that much.  He sat in his worn blue jeans and a loose, threadbare t-shirt.  The only noise came from occasional passing cars on the road outside.  The open beer in his hand was slowly going warm.  He couldn’t bring himself to care.

They’d held a memorial service for Daniel.  Sent him off properly.  Held a wake. None of it should have happened.  None of it.  Daniel should still be with them.  Sure, it had been a freak accident.  But they should have seen it coming.  Volcanic gasses?  _Volcanic_!? Exactly how stupid were they?  They should have gotten out of there the minute they’d stepped through the gate.  It shouldn’t have taken flames and death to get them moving.  

**_“Colonel, help me!”_ **

Daniel’s plea for help echoed in Jack’s brain.  His fear when he’d felt the fire, when he realized what was happening.  It had been Jack he’d called out for.  For his friend.  From the very beginning of the program and even when Daniel was hidden on Abydos before the lie had been uncovered.  It had been Jack who had brought him back.  Who had promised to help him find his abducted wife.  Hell, it was his fault Daniel’s wife had been abducted at all!  It was all on him.  At least now he couldn’t hurt Daniel anymore.  

He curled in on himself, pressing the beer bottle against his forehead and closing his eyes against the pain inside.  But the image of Daniel in the fire leapt up in his mind to haunt him.  

“ _NO_!” he shouted, standing suddenly and flinging the bottle across the room.  It shattered loudly against the stones of the fireplace, shards of brown glass flying in all directions.  He stood there breathing heavily for a moment, anger etched into his features as he watched the liquid run down between the cracks and pool foamily on the floor…

**_“Help!  Jack!  Help…help!!”_ **

Daniel’s last moments flooded into his mind, washing away even the anger.  The terror had been palpable in the moment.  The desperation as Daniel had cried out _“Jack!”_ knowing it was hopeless rattled him even now.  Jack had tried to go to him.  He had tried to save him, but the heat was too intense.  He’d had no choice but to flee with Carter and Teal’c in the end or risk all of them dying.  There was nothing he could have done…and yet…

Jack sank limply to his knees, his chest tight and eyes stinging.  He ground his teeth together to hold back a wave of sick and caught himself with one hand as he dizzily remembered to breathe.  Daniel was gone, and it was his fault, and he would live with that guilt for the rest of his life.  Live with the flash of fire and those last pleading cries for help burned into his memory.  

He balled his hand into a shaking fist and fought hard against the tears he refused to let fall.

**Author's Note:**

> Originally a tumblr prompt, I decided I liked it enough to post on here as well. I hope some of you like it, too! 
> 
> ((happendash or that-hurts on tumblr))


End file.
